KurtRech189 at 19:19, 21 November 2025

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{{short description|Indian actress (born 1950)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Use Indian English|date=February 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Leena Chandavarkar
| image = Leena Chandavarkar.jpg
| caption = Chandavarkar in 2014
| native_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1950|08|29|df=y}}<ref name="Tabassum Talkies">{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FejQKnYFm8g |title=The hardships of Leena Chandavarkar |date=4 February 2019 |via=YouTube |access-date=8 September 2019 |archive-date=1 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200301075137/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FejQKnYFm8g |url-status=live}}</ref>
| birth_place = [[Dharwad]], [[Karnataka State]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| occupation = Actress
| spouse = {{ubl|{{married|Siddharth Bandodkar|1975|1976|reason=died}}<ref name="Lehren">{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hLODvBfdAuM |title=After being widowed at the age of 25, Leena Chandavarkar married a 25-year-older singer |date=1 September 2018 |via=YouTube |access-date=8 September 2019}}{{cbignore}}{{Dead Youtube links|date=February 2022}}</ref>|{{married|[[Kishore Kumar]]|1980|1987|reason=died}}}}
| children = 1<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/eyecatchers/story/20040913-kishore-kumars-son-sumeet-kumar-to-sing-title-track-of-film-naach-789273-2004-09-13 |title=Kishore Kumar's son Sumeet Kumar to sing title track of film 'Naach' |date=13 September 2004 |website=India Today Dot In |language=en |access-date=4 April 2022}}</ref>
| relatives = {{ubl|
* [[Dayanand Bandodkar]] (father-in-law)
* [[Shashikala Kakodkar]] (sister-in-law)}}
| othername =
| yearsactive = 1968–1989
}}

'''Leena Chandavarkar''' (born 29 August 1950) is an Indian actress who appeared in [[Hindi cinema|Hindi]] films as a leading actress and now appears in reality shows. She was active during the late 1960s and early 1970s. She played the leading heroine opposite almost all the notable Hindi film actors of that era and was frequently paired with [[Rajesh Khanna]], [[Dharmendra]], [[Jeetendra]], [[Sanjeev Kumar]], [[Vinod Khanna]], [[Shammi Kapoor]], [[Dilip Kumar]], [[Sunil Dutt]], and [[Raaj Kumar]].

== Biography ==
Leena Chandavarkar was born to an army officer Sreenath Chandavarkar at [[Dharwad]] in [[Karnataka]] in 1950.{{citation needed|date=February 2021}} She was supposed to debut with the film Maseeha (1967) opposite [[Sunil Dutt]] costarring [[Raaj Kumar]] and Mumtaz too under the direction of Sunil Dutt himself. The film got shelved and she made her debut under the direction of Sunil Dutt with the movie Man ka Meet in 1968.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Leena Chandavarkar gets candid about life, love and marriage |url=https://www.filmfare.com/filmfare-flashback/leena-chandavarkar-gets-candid-about-life-love-and-marriage-27959.html |access-date=16 February 2021 |website=filmfare.com |language=en}}</ref> The movie was a hit and she became an overnight star. She was one of the topmost heroines in early 70s alongside [[Hema Malini]] and [[Mumtaz (Indian actress)|Mumtaz]]. She had an elder brother Anil Chandavarkar who married director [[Atma Ram (director)|Atma Ram]]'s daughter and has a daughter from the marriage. He died by heart attack in 1985. She quit Bollywood after marriage with singing legend [[Kishore Kumar]] only to return for two movies later.<ref name="deccanchronicle">{{cite web |url=http://www.deccanchronicle.com:80/tabloid/sunday-chronicle/heartitude/‘can’t-change-one’s-destiny’-219 |title=Can't change one's destiny |date=11 August 2011 |newspaper=[[Deccan Chronicle]] |access-date=24 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120815144833/http://www.deccanchronicle.com/tabloid/sunday-chronicle/heartitude/%E2%80%98can%E2%80%99t-change-one%E2%80%99s-destiny%E2%80%99-219 |archive-date=15 August 2012 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

== Career ==
Chandavarkar came into the limelight after finishing as one of the runners-up for the ''Fresh Face'' Competition organized across the country by [[Filmfare]]. Initially, she worked in advertisements but eventually ventured into films. She made her debut in ''Man Ka Meet'' for [[Sunil Dutt]], and it was his wife [[Nargis]] who groomed her to be an actress. Between 1969 and 1979, Leena acted in many films. She was cast opposite many of popular heroes of that era. She gave one of her best performances in ''[[Mehboob Ki Mehndi]]'' with [[Rajesh Khanna]] in 1971.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Malhotra |first=Aps |date=4 June 2015 |title=Mehboob Ki Mehndi (1971) |language=en-IN |work=The Hindu |url=https://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/mehboob-ki-mehndi-1971/article7282427.ece |access-date=16 February 2021 |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

''[[Bairaag]]'', in 1976, is another example where she acted with [[Dilip Kumar]] and an [[Ensemble cast|ensemble star cast]] of [[Saira Banu|Saira Bano]], [[Prem Chopra]] and [[Helen (actress)|Helen]].

She appeared as a guest judge for the first 2 episodes of "K for Kishore", a new reality TV singing show launched by Sony TV during December 2007. She is now appearing for the reality shows. She also penned some songs for [[Amit Kumar (singer)|Amit Kumar]] and ''Rajesh Bambal'' for a music album.

== Personal life ==
She had an arranged marriage to her first husband, Siddharth Bandodkar, who came from a prominent [[Goan]]-[[Marathi people|Marathi]] political family. [[Shashikala Kakodkar]], the elder sister of Siddharth, was then the Chief Minister of [[Goa, Daman and Diu]]. Siddharth was the son of [[Dayanand Bandodkar]], the first Chief Minister of Goa, Daman and Diu. Siddharth died from an accidental gunshot wound, a few days into the marriage, leaving Leena a widow at age 25.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.targetgoa.com/PRAJAL-SAKHARDANDE/-nbsp-Siddharth-Bandodkar-passed-away-too-soon/1633 |title=Target Goa: Siddharth Bandodkar passed away too soon |access-date=22 April 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150422203102/http://www.targetgoa.com/PRAJAL-SAKHARDANDE/-nbsp-Siddharth-Bandodkar-passed-away-too-soon/1633 |archive-date=22 April 2015 }}</ref> A few years later, she married playback singer [[Kishore Kumar]]. Her father initially objected because Kumar had been married three times already, and was more than 20 years older than her, but he soon came around and welcomed Kumar into the family.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kishoreda came home & sang till my parents agreed to our marriage: Leena Chandavarkar - Times of India |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/entertainment/bengali/music/kishoreda-came-home-sang-till-my-parents-agreed-to-our-marriage-leena-chandavarkar/articleshow/70535882.cms |access-date=16 February 2021 |website=The Times of India |language=en}}</ref> She has a son with Kumar named Sumeet. Kumar died in 1987, leaving Leena once again a widow at age 37. She lives with her son Sumeet,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/eyecatchers/story/20040913-kishore-kumars-son-sumeet-kumar-to-sing-title-track-of-film-naach-789273-2004-09-13 |title=Kishore Kumar's son Sumeet Kumar to sing title track of film 'Naach' |date=13 September 2004 |website=India Today Dot In |language=en |access-date=4 April 2022}}</ref> her step-son [[Amit Kumar]], and his wife.{{Citation needed|date=March 2022}}

== Filmography ==
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|-
!Year !!Movies !!Role !!Co-Star !!Notes

|-
|[[List of Bollywood films of 1989|1989]]
|''[[Mamta Ki Chhaon Mein]]''
|Leena Rai
|[[Rajesh Khanna]]
|Last film
|-
|[[List of Bollywood films of 1985|1985]]
|''[[Sarfarosh (1985 film)|Sarfarosh]]''
|Sita
|[[Jeetendra]]
|Supporting role
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[List of Bollywood films of 1980|1980]]
|''Zalim''
|Kiran
|[[Vinod Khanna]]
|
|-
|''Pyar Ajnabi Hai''
|Unreleased
|[[Kishore Kumar]]
|
|-
|rowspan="2"|[[List of Bollywood films of 1978|1978]]
|''[[Daaku Aur Jawan]]''
|Seeta
|[[Sunil Dutt]], [[Vinod Khanna]]
|Hit
|-
|''[[Nalayak]]''
|Seema
|[[Jeetendra]]
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[List of Bollywood films of 1977|1977]]
|''[[Aafat]]''
|Inspector Chhaya
|[[Navin Nischol]]
|
|-
|''[[Aakhri Goli]]''
|Suman
|[[Sunil Dutt]]
|
|-
|''[[Naami Chor]]''
|Dr.Leena
|[[Biswajit Chatterjee]]
|
|-
|''[[Yaaron Ka Yaar]]''
|Bindiya
|[[Shatrughan Sinha]]
|
|-
|[[List of Bollywood films of 1976|1976]]
|''[[Bairaag]]''
|Soniya
|[[Dilip Kumar]]
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[List of Bollywood films of 1975|1975]]
|''[[Qaid (film)|Qaid]]''
|Preet
|[[Vinod Khanna]]
|Hit
|-
|''[[Jaggu]]''
|Geeta
|[[Shatrughan Sinha]]
|
|-
|''[[Ek Mahal Ho Sapno Ka]]''
|Sonia
|[[Dharmendra]]
|
|-
|''[[Apne Rang Hazaar]]''
|Malti
|[[Sanjeev Kumar]]
|
|-
|rowspan="4"|[[List of Bollywood films of 1974|1974]]
|''[[Bidaai (1974 film)|Bidaai]]''
|Padma D. Das
|[[Jeetendra]]
|Superhit
|-
|''[[Chor Chor]]''
|Hema
|[[Vijay Anand (filmmaker)|Vijay Anand]]
|
|-
|''[[Manchali]]''
|Leena
|[[Sanjeev Kumar]]
|Semihit
|-
|''[[Imaan (film)|Imaan]]''
|Imli
|[[Sanjeev Kumar]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|[[List of Bollywood films of 1973|1973]]
|''[[Anhonee (1973 film)|Anhonee]]''
|Dr. Rekha
|[[Sanjeev Kumar]]
|Semihit
|-
|''[[Ek Kunwari Ek Kunwara]]''
|Neela
|[[Rakesh Roshan]]
|
|-
|''[[Honeymoon (1973 film)|Honeymoon]]''
|Madhu Bhatnagar
|[[Anil Dhawan]]
|
|-
|[[List of Bollywood films of 1972|1972]]
|''[[Dil Ka Raja]]''
|Geeta
|[[Raaj Kumar]]
|
|-
|rowspan="6"|[[List of Bollywood films of 1971|1971]]
|''[[Rakhwala (1971 film)|Rakhwala]]''
|Chandni
|[[Dharmendra]]
|
|-
|''Chingari''
|Reshma
|[[Sanjay Khan]]
|
|-
|''[[Preetam]]''
|Sharan B. Sinha/Bindya
|[[Shammi Kapoor]]
|
|-
|''[[Jaane-Anjaane]]''
|Mala
|[[Shammi Kapoor]]
|
|-
|''[[Main Sunder Hoon]]''
|Radha
|[[Biswajit Chatterjee]]
|Semihit
|-
|''[[Mehboob Ki Mehndi]]''
|Shabana
|[[Rajesh Khanna]]
|
|-
|rowspan="3"|1970
|''[[Humjoli]]''
|Ranibala Rai
|[[Jeetendra]]
|Superhit
|-
|''[[Jawab (1970 film)|Jawab]]''
|Chanchal
|[[Jeetendra]]
|
|-
|''[[Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi]]''
|Sadhana Deepak Chaud
|[[Sanjay Khan]]
|
|-
|rowspan="1"|[[List of Bollywood films of 1968|1968]]
|''Man Ka Meet''
|Aarti
|Som Dutt
|Semihit
|}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{IMDb name|0151293}}
* [https://www.rediff.com/movies/2003/jul/24dinesh.htm Leena Chandavarkar: The innocent shrew]
* [http://www.dharwad.com/nimmaputa/leenachandavarker.htm Leena Chandavarkar and Her Movies]
<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mid-day.com/articles/leena-chandavarkar-ram-jethmalani-asked-my-permission-before-kissing-me/16016193 |title=Leena Chandavarkar: Ram Jethmalani asked my permission before kissing me |date=25 February 2015 |access-date=5 April 2017 |archive-date=5 April 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170405171327/http://www.mid-day.com/articles/leena-chandavarkar-ram-jethmalani-asked-my-permission-before-kissing-me/16016193 |url-status=live}}</ref>

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandavarkar, Leena}}
[[Category:Indian film actresses]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Konkani people]]
[[Category:People from Dharwad]]
[[Category:1950 births]]
[[Category:Kishore Kumar]]

Leena Chandavarkar - Revision history

KurtRech189 at 19:19, 21 November 2025